03 May 2024

P3 Wokingham is a purpose-built space for 16-25 year-old young people, comprising seven ensuite rooms in our main house and two independent studio flats. We are situated in an affluent market town, just over ten miles from Windsor and 30 miles west of London. 

I began working in this service after it opened in 2018, and I am still here! Every day we support the young adults we work alongside to navigate their way through the housing system and to secure their first home as an independent adult. Although we are low to medium risk supported housing, we often find ourselves supporting young people requiring high levels of support, so we have become very adept at building strategic partnerships with aligned local support organisations.

When a young person moves in with us they have to agree to be in education, employment and training. I passionately believe that there is a place for everyone in this world, and we work to make it so, taking into account the vulnerabilities of the young people we work alongside, as they are often very withdrawn. I always encourage my team to think outside the box and seek opportunities where kindness prevails. With this in mind, we have built a relationship with a local children’s charity to offer some of our young people the opportunity to volunteer with them to gain experience in a retail setting.

Thank you for reading!

Best wishes,

Christine

Since Ivy was 15-years-old, she’d often thought about volunteering, but never felt she had the confidence to find a role. There was a lot going on in her life and she was living in our accommodation. Ivy’s support worker suggested she should volunteer for Helen & Douglas House as a way of improving her confidence, and so her journey with the charity shop began. 

Ivy said: “Nine months on from starting to volunteer for Helen & Douglas House, I am a completely different person – it has changed my life. In the past I have been judged by people because I was living in care and found it hard to connect with people, but the manager and volunteers at Helen & Douglas House treated me as an individual, saw my potential and nurtured and developed me, which I am so grateful for. The acts of kindness I have been shown by staff and volunteers at the shop has been heart-warming.”

You can read the full story on the Helen & Douglas website – https://www.helenanddouglas.org.uk/blog/meet-volunteer-ivy/